Published March 20, 2026 by Trish Valdez
For three consecutive years since the comeback of the Luzonwide Higher Education Press Conference, The Innovator, the official student publication of Cagayan State University–Lal-lo Campus, scribes continue to rake in four placements in the competition's 21st edition held at NGN Gran Pavilion Hotel, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan on March 17–19, 2026.
Bagging the publication's highest placement this year is its Editor-in-Chief, Ivan Howard B. Sumauang, in Development Communication Writing (Filipino), taking home second place, four placements higher than his achievement last year.
Being a consistent LHEPC qualifier and regional winner, Sumauang emphasized the importance of humility, noting that competitions are merely a celebration of being a journalist.
“More than the competition, I see journalism as a responsibility to inform and serve. Awards are just a bonus, they come after the work we do as campus journalists,” he said.
Meanwhile, first-time journalist and Opinion Division staffer John Rafael S. Ruelos gave the publication a two-year streak placement in Photojournalism (Filipino) after taking fourth place in the said category.
After two years of not having a qualifier in Editorial Writing (Filipino), Brigette E. Ramos, DevCom staffer and first-year Social Studies student, ranked sixth in Editorial Writing (Filipino), the same placement as the publication's Editorial Writing winner in 2024.
Moreover, Derick S. Amarles, Circulation Manager, came back for his second appearance in the competition after not qualifying in the last edition, with Digital Editorial Cartooning (Filipino), placing 10th.
Precious Mae R. Martinez, a first-time press conference participant, and Trish G. Valdez, a two-time LHEPC qualifier, also participated in the event.
The competition is the highest press conference in Luzon, with over 1,000 delegates, and is set to expand into a nationwide event next year, with Region I as the host region